We'll continue our study through the book of Jude. We've had a little bit of a break there as we've started into 1 Corinthians. It was a while back where our schedule kind of got messed up and we weren't able to finish off that book, so we're returning to that. So we begin in Jude 17. through 24. This is the end of the book. It's a short letter, so there's only, you know, if there was a chapter, it'd be one chapter. So we're in just verse 17 through the end in verse 24. I'll read that. If you would go ahead and stand with me and we'll read the word together. Jude is just before Revelation. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life, and have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire, to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen. You may be seated. Well, if you remember Jude's purpose in writing, that's back in verse three. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Contend for the faith, that is to defend it, uphold it. The faith, which has both content, doctrinal, but also conduct. This letter has actually focused more at this point in time on the conduct of the faith. He has gone above and beyond by pointing out false teaching, false teachers, I should say, that deny the faith, deny their Lord by their works, by what they are doing. That is to say that the true gospel has a content, a message, but it also results in a life, a conduct, and that needs to be defended. So he has gone throughout the letter showing by using figures from the Old Testament how these false teachers align perfectly with those of old. He goes through the hall of shame, essentially, of the Old Testament. He talks about the first generation of Israel. They were destroyed in the wilderness. He talks about the fallen angels who didn't keep their place of authority. He talks about Sodom and Gomorrah. He talks about Cain who killed his brother and Balaam who, for greedy for gain, led Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry. And he continually just says, hey, these people right here, They're just like them. They're just like them. He does it in verse 8, 10, and 16. Verse 8, Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. Verse 10, But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. And then in verse 16, these are grumblers, malcontents following their own sinful desires. They are loudmouthed boasters showing favoritism to gain advantage. And he says even Enoch spoke of these type of people on rank ungodliness that will ultimately be judged. What was the outcome of this manner of life? It was destruction because it is not the true faith. The true faith is the good news of what Christ has done on our behalf, both in his death and resurrection, crediting his righteousness to us and dying the penalty for our sins so that we could be forgiven and receiving the Holy Spirit, which then results in a life of godliness. unlike these false teachers." And so Jude says, you know, I wish I could write to you about our common salvation, but I need to address this issue. This is off, this is wrong. And so he takes 16 verses to just negatively show, you contend for the faith by recognizing the wrong living. Say, that's not the true faith. But in verse 17, he shifts more towards the positive instruction. Contendent for the faith, yes, by recognizing the wrong way to live, but then by also living this way, perseverance in the faith. So here in Jude, we get clarity as to how do we not end up like these folks over here who he's mentioned. who just are corrupt and enslaved to sensuality and their own passions and evil, corruption, greediness, gain. How do we not end up like them? Well, he says over here, persevere in the faith. And I know if you've been a thinking Christian for a while, you're wondering, how does this work? Perseverance, is it all just me? Is it just me kind of mustering this out? I need to do the right thing. I need to make sure I'm reading the Bible. I need to go to church. And it's just me kind of obeying. How does this fit with salvation when it seems like salvation is all of grace and it's communicated over and over? It's all grace. By grace, you've been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It's the gift of God. So initial salvation is us, is God and his grace. But to make it to the end, it's all us. No, no, no, no, no. Judy's going to provide the clarity we need. And it's by two words, perseverance and then preservation. And both those concur together that we persevere, but it's God who's preserving us. and he uses the means to that. So big idea today is that the beloved persevere and are preserved concurrently. So we're gonna look at two concurrent realities for the beloved. One, we persevere, that's in verses 17 through 23. And then verse 24, God preserves. So we persevere and God preserves, and those things concur together. So first, concurrent reality, we persevere. Verse 17. We first persevere by remembering. Look at verse 17. But you must remember, beloved. Well, who's the you? Well, that's what it says in verse one. To those who are called beloved in God, the Father, and kept for or by Jesus Christ. He's saying, you must remember beloved, but keep in mind who the you is. They're beloved, not just by Jude, but by God. They've been called, as we've learned in Romans, because they were first foreknown. Those whom he foreknew, he predestined, and those whom he predestined, he called. So they have been loved by God and then because of that have been called, that is effectually by the Holy Spirit to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then verse one says, and you are kept by Jesus Christ. Well, what are they to remember? It says the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. Don't be surprised. Remember what they've told you all along. Remember Acts 20, Paul speaking with the Ephesian elders, he's very clear. He says, know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert. We could even just turn back a page or two to 2 Peter. Peter says, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. In the last days, that is from the time of Christ coming to the time when he returns, there will be scoffers, there will be mockers, there will be people giving over to sinful desires. Don't worry. This was all predicted and you were warned of it. Don't give in. So remember. It is these now, as he has been doing throughout the letter, he attaches predictions or older people to people, it's verse 19, it is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit. Now that's interesting. Divisions, Paul warned of that in 1 Corinthians, let there be no divisions among you, be united in the same mind, same judgment. But it's interesting he calls them worldly people for divisions. Worldly people. That's what people outside of the church do. Remember the church is a reconciled group of believers who live as one family together. Whether it's a Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, slave free, we're all one in Christ Jesus. So divisions? Separation? That's not right. In fact, he even says they're devoid of the spirit. Why? Because Paul says even in Ephesians 4, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another. All those fruit of the spirits there. eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The Holy Spirit allows us to actually get along and not have divisions and work through our differences and provide forgiveness. So if somebody is continually stirring up division with no desire for unity in the body, it's quite possible they are devoid of the Spirit. To this first point, we persevere by remembering. Don't be surprised, be warned, be ready. We persevere by remembering, but also by keeping. Look at verse 20. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Now, I say keeping as the center because this is the only imperative in this verse. You have three participles which support That one imperative, keeping. So you keep yourselves in the love of God, which sounds strange in one sense, but we know Jesus said something very similar. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. So we abide in Christ's love by keeping his commandments, but that then gets fleshed out even fuller by this term, building. Building yourselves up in your most holy faith. That is language that we saw in Ephesians 4, that we are an edifice or a building being built up. When everything's working together rightly within the body, we're built up into this holy temple into the Lord. Think of the body image. We usually think, okay, that's just arms, body. But Colossians says that all the fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ Jesus. The image there is of a temple and we being united to Christ are then part of this temple of which Christ is the head and we are being built up in your most holy faith. Build yourselves up and notice that is corporate. Yourselves is in the plural there. This is a corporate endeavor. How do we persevere? We build ourselves up in the most holy faith, both content and the conduct. Notice also then, he says, that secondly, we are praying, praying in the Holy Spirit, it says. Paul says something similar. In Ephesians 6, verse 18, praying at all times in the spirit, because someone will confuse this and say, OK, this is praying in tongues, praying in the spirit. That's a holy language that you speak with God. No, this is praying prayer that is not only motivated and made able through the Holy Spirit, but also in accordance with his will. So John was in the spirit on the Lord's Day, I think that was in prayer. So we pray, that's how we persevere, but then also waiting, this is the third participle, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. This waiting is hope. Hope in the reality of the coming of Christ, which Paul says in other places, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. We persevere by remembering, by keeping, but also by reaching. This comes out in verse 22 through 23. Reaching, reaching out essentially. It seems an interesting way that Jude goes here, but he's basically saying you need to reach out to those who are in error. And this has an effect upon you as well. I don't know if you all have ever shared the gospel with someone, but that is somewhat of a spiritually invigorating experience where, I don't know if you've been like me, but sometimes I'm like, yeah, I actually really believe this because I'm willing to tell this person the good news that they might not like and that might also create some awkwardness. But I, out of love for God, wanting him to receive glory and love for my neighbor, am going to do this. And so he says in verse 22, and have mercy on those who doubt. No doubt people in this congregation or whatever were being tempted to be lured by false teachers, by their lifestyles, the freedom that they supposedly stated. And there might be people wavering. Well, have mercy on those. Reach out to them. And verse 23 says, save others by snatching them out of the fire. It's difficult to know if it's not just the same person. Have mercy on those who doubt and save them by snatching them out of the fire. This is a difficult textual issue that many commentators can get in. I'm fine with the way the ESV does it, they see three groups here, have mercy on those who doubt, save others by snatching them out of the fire, to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. People are perishing, and especially if they're wrapped up in false teaching. You can, by speaking the truth and love to them in God's grace, using you as an instrument, bringing people out of the fire. And you can't help but think that Jude here is thinking of that wonderful scene in Zechariah chapter three. Because he uses the same language of Joshua, the high priest. And both of these fit really well with Zechariah chapter three, because when it says there, garments stained by the flesh, listen to Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, O Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is not this a brand plucked from the fire? And that language is that Joshua has been brought out of exile. He's been saved. He's been forgiven. And Satan here is accusing him. Look at his stained, dirty clothes, which those clothes represented sinfulness and corruption. Here we see he's a brand plucked out of the fire and a beautiful picture as the verse continues of the gospel. Now Joshua was standing before the angel clothed with filthy garments and the angel said to those who were standing before him, remove the filthy garments from him. And to him, he said, Behold, I have taken your iniquity from you and I will clothe you with pure vestments. And I said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed them with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. Just a picture in one sense of the glorious work of the gospel, which are sins and filthiness. Corrupt flesh and clothing is removed and we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ But you'll notice it's the staining of the filthy garments that comes out in that verse there that we were looking at In verse 23 to others show mercy with fear hating even the garment stained by the flesh now, this is interesting language show mercy with fear and Now there are some people as you reach out to them, especially if they are in this false teacher camp or who are really wrapped up in it, you have to do that with a little bit of trepidation knowing that you could be drawn away as well, as they're giving you these supposedly strong arguments for their false teaching. So that's how that could be rendered. To others, show mercy with fear, or it's mercy with fear for God, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. I can't stand this corruption within this person and the fact that they're leading people astray. So it's tough to know exactly which one. But the reality is that you are reaching out to these people in some capacity, whether it's through rebuke or through reaching out, trying to save them. That is part of our perseverance in the faith. So that first section, we persevere. That is how we contend for the faith. We persevere. with the ways in which God has made possible through building, through prayer, through reaching out, through remembering. But this final verse here, 24 and 25, we see God's preservation. So we persevere, yet God preserves. And they concur, that means they're happening at the same time. God is the primary cause, we are secondary cause. where we're using and utilizing the means that he has given to us to persevere, yet ultimately God is the one doing this. This is a doxology that actually forms a great inclusio, because we saw to those who are called, who are beloved of God and kept by Jesus Christ, this letter ends something similar, verse 24. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Isn't that beautiful? To Him, that is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him, He is able. Notice, first with me, this power. He is able. Other doxologies say something similar. Romans 16, now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel. Ephesians 3, now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work within us. What is He able to do? to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. So two things, one negative, he protects us, keeps us from stumbling. This sounds similar to John 17 verse 12, while I was with them, Jesus says, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction that the scripture might be fulfilled. He kept them. Why? Because they are all the father gave him. He keeps them. So he protects us negatively, but positively he presents us before him. He presents us before him, how beautiful. Presents you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Now, if you have read the Old Testament, you understand this language of presenting before the presence of God something that's blameless, and that is a sacrifice. Sacrifices must be spotless, without any blemish, if they are going to be accepted by God. Well, if you know yourself, you know that you have blemishes and spots. So how is it possible that we can be blameless before God? That is because the spotless, blameless Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, died in our place. And by his work, he credits that righteousness to us. And so that we, standing before the presence of God in His glory, can have confidence that we too are blameless because we're in Christ. Now, some people will say, well, there's other ways you could read this, that He, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is going to cleanse and purify us to where we will stand before Him blameless. You could read it that way. But according to the work of Christ and what I see Him as the final sacrifice, that was without spot or blame, as precious blood, First Peter calls it, that we were ransomed by. I feel like Ephesians five backs me up too. He might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. That was based on his death, that he died for the church. So you have the negative side of it, he's able, he protects us from stumbling, but also the positive, he presents us before him. And we have this great conclusion to the letter, we praise. So we persevere, God preserves, and we praise. Verse 25, to the only God, our Savior. To the only God, there is no other God, and he is the only Savior. How did he save? It's through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Yahweh saves through the Messiah, who is our Lord. And he says, to God be glory. That is the fullness of his splendor that often takes visible form. Think of it in the Old Testament, the flames of fire and the trumpet sounds at the Mount. His glory, but also his majesty. We think of the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. His faith shined with glory. And they said we've seen the majestic glory of the Lord and his dominion. That is the extension of his reign and his authority before all time, now and forever. Just the right amount of praise and glory given for His work on our behalf. We persevere, yet it is Him who preserves us. So we're active, we're not passive in this, but we ultimately give Him all the glory for keeping us all the way to the end. And so that language used here, beloved, beloved by God, know it, know it, that he predestined you, that he called you in time, that he justified you, that he adopted you, and now he's sanctifying you ultimately that you will be glorified and when you see him face to face, we will be like him. The glorious truth. Hopefully you're being encouraged by this letter and strengthened and built up. Let us pray to the Lord our God. Our Father, we pray that you would strengthen us through this, that we would be more confident, not in ourselves, but in the means that you've given to us, that we might be built up, prayerful, waiting and hopeful in the revealing of our Lord and Savior, knowing that you keep, you protect, you guide, you lead, and you ultimately get the...